Nutanix Files Manual: Prerequisites and Network

Prerequisites and Environmental Requirements

Before deploying Nutanix Files v5.0, ensure the underlying Nutanix cluster and infrastructure meet the following prerequisites.

Hypervisor and Platform Compatibility

• Hypervisor: Nutanix AHV or VMware ESXi.
• AOS Release: AOS 5.20 or later (AOS 6.5+ / 7.0+ recommended).
• Prism Central: pc.2022.6 or later with Nutanix Files License (Nutanix Unified Storage / NUS).
• Cluster Sizing: Minimum 3 Nutanix HCI nodes for production multi-FSVM deployments; single-node deployments supported for ROBO/edge.

Sizing and Resource Requirements per FSVM

Network Architecture and Segmentation

Nutanix Files requires two distinct virtual networks (VLANs) for optimal security and isolation:

1. Client Network:
   • Used by end-user clients, application servers, and Active Directory controllers to access SMB shares and NFS exports.
   • Requires dedicated IP addresses for each FSVM plus one Virtual IP (VIP) for the file server instance.
2. Storage Network:
   • Dedicated internal network for communication between FSVMs and Nutanix CVMs (iSCSI traffic for Volume Groups).
   • Requires one IP address per FSVM on the CVM network/VLAN.

Port Requirements and Firewall Rules

Ensure the following network ports are open across firewalls:

Last updated Oct 08, 2026